On politics in the Golden State

Fiorina defends her tenure at HP

May 27, 2010 | 7:23
am

Carly Fiorina’s dramatic
exit from Hewlett-Packard in 2005 was covered extensively by the media,
and the former chief executive offered her side of the story in her
memoirs. But as she campaigns for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination against two rivals, some
voters say they are still trying to sort out what happened and how they
feel about her dismissal.

One of them -- Craig Covello of Folsom -- took his chance to question
her Wednesday night before an audience of several hundred people who
gathered for a forum sponsored by the Tea Party Patriots of El Dorado Hills.

"Since you want to be a U.S. senator for California, which directly
affects my life, why would I vote for you when I know what a snake pit
it is in Washington and the political maneuvering that goes [on] there?"
Covello asked. “You got bumped out of HP, and
I’m sorry to be that direct about it ..."

"OK, I’ll say it," Covello, 53, continued. "You got fired from HP -- you
were blindsided. What would lead me to believe that you have the
leadership ability to be able to go to Washington and not get
blindsided by half of the Senate?"

After a describing the argument that immediately preceded her firing,
which was over board members leaking information about the board’s
discussions to the media, Fiorina defended her tenure
at HP, ticking off her accomplishments and noting that she led the
company through the "dot-com" bust.

"I will run on that record all day long," Fiorina said. "And what you
can take away is -- I do know something about politics. Believe it or not,
you all, it exists in the real world too."

Fiorina’s explanation drew a hearty round of applause, but she didn’t
satisfy Covello.

"She didn’t answer my question," he said, adding that he is
leaning toward one of Fiorina’s rivals, Assemblyman Chuck DeVore of
Irvine.